The present invention relates to a projector of an information display system in vehicles, in particular in aircraft, for projecting images comprising information for passengers and/or crew onto a projection area, for example a wall, a ceiling element or the like, which projection area is arranged in the vehicle, with the use of a projection lens that images the image contents onto the projection area, which images are generated by a light source and a projection means.
DE 10 2004 031 700 A1 describes an information display system for aircraft in which a thin film or a correspondingly printed or otherwise processed screen or an otherwise partially translucent material can be used as a projection means. In order to present static and dynamic information on projection surfaces of any desired design in combination with a high-performance light-emitting diode and suitable optics, an electronically changeable projection means in the form of a liquid crystal display is provided which can be controlled and operated by a control unit by means of a data port and data lines. The data, which is transmitted from the control unit to the liquid crystal display, can be image data or film data so that entire films can be imaged onto the projection area. High-resolution images are generated with this information display system.
From DE 199 25 318 C1 a colour image projector with time-controlled LED light sources is known, in which colour image projection large-area arrays comprising LEDs that are organised in lines and columns in the three elementary colours are used. By way of a shared image generator and a control circuit, the LEDS are controlled such that imaging takes place from sequentially generated partial images in the three elementary colours. For the purpose of increasing the overall brightness of the image, control of the LEDs, which are organised by lines and columns, follows imaging, by lines and columns, in the image generator. This colour image projector can be used to display video sequences in demonstration events, to present moving images at large events, and also in the home cinema segment.
Furthermore, EP 0 605 232 B1 describes an image projection device for generating an image display onto a projection screen. This apparatus comprises a device for emitting light, a first lens arrangement with a multitude of first microlenses, a liquid crystal display that comprises a multitude of pixels arranged in a matrix form and a shielding mask; a second lens arrangement comprising a multitude of second microlenses; and a projection lens arrangement comprising a projection lens. Furthermore, a device for generating a control signal and for its transmission to the liquid crystal display is provided, wherein the liquid crystal display controls the quantity of light that is received by each pixel depending on the control signal.
Many projectors (so-called beamers in DLP or LCD technology) are rather large and also too expensive for application in vehicles. In contrast to this, simple mini projectors with LCDs, as they are used, for example, in projection clocks, may be, due to the limited LCD transmission, far too dark and inefficient.